GURGAON, Dec 15: Swedish consumer appliances major AB Electrolux has introduced one more product - the robot vacuum cleaner (RVC), the first of its kind in the domestic market. After London and Bangkok, the prototype was exhibited in Delhi on Monday as a part of the worldwide unveiling of its products by the company president Graig Ibsen.

Speaking at a press conference, Ibsen said since 1970 a dedicated team of people have worked on this vacuum cleaner. The robot vacuum cleaner is a smooth round disc with an in-built navigational radar that allows it to vacuum its way around a room without bumping into furniture or other obstacles.

Terming the introduction of the robot vacuum cleaner in the domestic market as the beginning of the journey to the "home of the future", Ibsen said its operation needs no technical knowledge and when the robot vacuum cleaner is not used, it is stored unobtrusively on a charging station,The robot technology which has been used in the robot vacuum cleaner is not new for the company. It has already developed with the same technology a prototype solar powered robotic lawn-mower which cuts the grass as long as there is daylight.

Answering a question, Ibsen said that the company would also increase the production of refrigerators to 4 lakh units from 2.50 lakh units at present.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.